Natural Hair and Lifestyle

5 Tips for Relieving an Itchy Scalp

Ive been suffering from an itchy scalp more recently , here are some tips I use to relieve the itch!

Oil scalp weekly (at least !)

Oiling my scalp after wash day makes a big difference throughout the week. Most times my scalp is itchy because its just dry. Your scalp needs TLC too! I like to oil my scalp with coconut oil, olive oil, or my favorite tea tree oil which specifically helps relieve itching. I part my hair and place oil on my scalp all over then spend about 3-5 minutes massaging my scalp ! Doing this small extra step at least once week goes a long way. I wish I was more consistent with this!

Focus on scalp when shampooing.

Most people still don’t know that shampoo isn’t primarily for your hair, its to clean your scalp! It just so happens that it runs down the shaft of your hair cleaning that as well. When washing your hair its important to focus cleaning your scalp. Wash, rub, and massage all the dirt out dissolving the product buildup. Neglecting your scalp during wash day can be one of the main causes for an itchy scalp.

Scratch scalp with a comb to get rid of buildup before washing.

What you do to your hair before washing can make wash day so much more effective. One of those things is parting and scratching your scalp with a comb before you wash it. You will physically be breaking up all the product buildup and getting out any flaking happening on your scalp. That way all dirt and oil is loosened up and will wash out much easier.

Use a shampoo with sulfates.

The first big thing everyone spoke about when being natural came out was sulfates! It was a terrible chemical in all shampoos that stripped your hair of its natural oils and made your hair dry, useless, blah blah blah. You were a terrorist if you used a shampoo with sulfates. That’s when the co-wash craze started because to hell with shampoo overall right? Wrong. I couldn’t imagine not washing my hair with shampoo but I tried only co-washing and personally that was a mistake for me. My scalp was SO itchy ! I had to start using shampoo again immediately. At first I was using the Crème of Nature Argan Oil Sulfate Free Shampoo which was so moisturizing, and I’ve also tried the Shea Moisture Curl and Shine Sulfate Free Shampoo which I liked and still use from time to time. (Shout out to Shea Moisture samples, such a good size! They take forever to run out!) However as I said previously my scalp has become more itchy as of late causing me to switch back to shampoos with sulfates. I found that I have an issue with product building up on my scalp very easily and quickly as I have low porosity hair. I now use Pantene Weekly Deep Cleanse Shampoo with Mosa Mint, and I shampoo every other wash day. It has definitely relieved my scalp issues. I alternate between the Pantene and the Curl and Shine shampoo.

Visit a dermatologist as it may be a skin condition.

If all else fails and your itching is insufferable , see a dermatologist as it could be psoriasis or another skin condition. It is actually not uncommon for this to happen so don’t be afraid to get it checked out by a professional!

What do you think causes you to have an itchy scalp? What remedies and practices have you tried to relieve it?

3 thoughts on “5 Tips for Relieving an Itchy Scalp”

I suffered from itchy scalp some months ago and I realized that it was caused by Bobby pins. I think I react to the metal used in coating them. Sometimes itchy scalp can be caused by reaction to materials used on the hair that’s why it’s important to monitor what you use on your hair.